Transportationortat will also play a vital role in any smart city program as it deals with the efficient movement of goods and services
INDUSTRY
By 2030, 40% of India’s population will be living in urban areas and contributing 75% of GDP. An estimated 400 mn people are expected to migrate to cities over this period. In fact, the great rural-to-urban migration has already begun. To meet the challenges these changes will raise and the pressure will be added on basic services, utilities and on an already crumbling infrastructure—India needs to build new cities and create new jobs over the next two decades. This will, however require wellplanned development of physical, social, economic, and institutional infrastructure.
Indian government has already made a start and work is being done at a fast pace to achieve the targets. Recognizing that urban centers are engines of growth and employment, it has launched a strategic initiative—the smart cities mission. Under the smart cities mission, the government will virtually rebuild 100 cities with basic infrastructure, including transportation and ICT, which will link nearly every aspect of city life. SMART CITY PROGRAMS There is a big push for smart cities. The government has allocated significant capital both at the central and state levels to make these a reality. Smart cities promise to reinvigorate local economies and improve the quality of life. But the smart city programs encompass several components which need to be linked together for this project to be successful.
Smartphone penetration and fast bandwidth is the key to smart city programs and is needed to connect citizens, businesses, and the government on a fast network. In India, the pace of smartphone penetration is rising quickly. 4G would play a key role in connecting and usage of Smart phones. Telecom operators are already gearing up their infrastructure to roll out 4G services.
Every city needs reliable power and Indian cities need a lot to do to deliver reliable electricity at the best possible price. Too many smart city programs globally follow the western model of centralised power plants and grids. While India still grapples with challenges like Internet availability, bandwidth issues, power and internet reliability, the prospect of large scale adoption of internet of things ( IoT) in the power sector might seem like a remote possibility, or one for the very distant future. However, with the government’s plan to create a $15 bn Internet of Things (IoT) market in the country by next five years, or the 100 smart city project under the IoT policy, there is significant scope for growth in the power sector as well. Transportation will also play a vital role in any smart city program as it deals with the efficient movement of goods and services. Today, India has about 150 mn vehicles and the roads are already choked. The goal of smart transportation is to help people move around and use efficient public and private transportation system more than personal vehicles. The success of Ola Cabs and Uber in India is an encouraging sign. It means that Indian consumers want efficiency, not just a car for sitting which not only wastes time and money but also pollutes the environment.
With GPS technology in car navigation and the capability to receive signals from multiple satellite systems to collect information has improved accuracy and response time in determining vehicle position which has expanded the utility of this function beyond basic navigation to safety-related applications.
Indian telematics market is exhibiting growth and consumers are becoming more cautious about their safety while driving. Moreover, automobile companies are collaborating with telematics manufacturing companies to develop in-built telematics systems during the production process itself. Added to this, the low-cost telematics solutions which are embedded in the automobiles is encouraging end users as they are able to afford this technology and also enjoy the services being provided by this technology. www.dqindia.com 33